Written by

Tribune Sports Editor

The Havre Blue Ponies beat up on many fine wrestling teams these days, as talented athlete Payton Sexe is only too well aware.

But Tuesday night the C.M. Russell High junior was determined to turn the tables against his Pony adversary. And sure enough, it was a horse of a different color.

“He’s beat me three times this year,” said Sexe of his 195-pound Havre foe, Jace Billy. “This is my first win over him and it feels pretty good.”

Sexe’s 8-4 victory helped the Rustlers post a 42-39 victory over the powerful Ponies Tuesday before an enthusiastic crowd at CMR Fieldhouse.

While Havre has won eight State A team championships under highly successful coach Scott Filius and is top-ranked again this winter, the Rustlers proved superior this night. There was plenty of enthusiasm on the CMR sideline all right.

“It feels awesome,” Sexe said. “We wrestled to win instead of wrestling to just be out there and hang with them.”

Sexe’s triumph gave the Rustlers a three-point lead with two matches remaining. Billy has had the upper hand all season in the match-up.

The difference?

“I just wrestled my match,” Sexe said. “Before I was timid. That’s kinda how I’ve been all year. The last couple of weeks I’ve just opened it up and it’s worked great.”

Danielson’s 6-5 victory at 182 over Havre’s Dustin Odegard was another one that previously had gone against the Rustlers. It tied the team score.

“That was a tough barn-burner and we pulled it out,” said CMR head coach Aaron Jensen.

And then, following Sexe’s victory, Nordell’s pin at 220 clinched it for the Rustlers.

“We had to get a win and we had to get bonus points to seal it,” Jensen said. “Nordell came up big for us.”

It provided one of the highlights of the season for the improving Rustlers.

“To win against a really quality team this late in the season is good for our confidence,” said Jensen. “We turned around some matches that went against us previously, so that’s good too.”

The Ponies were not quite at full strength. Star Keegan Kennelly, Class A’s top-ranked 106-pounder, didn’t wrestle, resulting in a forfeit for Russell.

“I had two guys out, but we didn’t wrestle well enough to get it done anyway,” said Havre coach Scott Filius. “CMR wrestled well. They turned around a couple matches, and that’s a credit to them.

“We can say we left guys home, but if they turn around matches and we lose by three, that’s on us.”

The Rustlers and Great Falls High Bison return to the mat on Saturday at the old GFH gymnasium. All three public school teams from Missoula are scheduled to bring teams to town, but Jensen said only Big Sky has agreed to make the trip. The wrestling will begin at noon.